On December 7, 2024, a tragic murder-suicide occurred in an apartment in DeKalb County, Georgia, which resulted in the death of five individuals, including two young children.
The victims were identified as Mollian Johnson, 43, Kaylyn Samuel, 25, who was Johnson’s daughter-in-law, and Samuel’s children, Jedorah Powell, five, and Jontavious Powell, one. The accused, Jonathan Darden, 42, was in a relationship with Johnson and is suspected of shooting the family to death before taking his own life.
The grim discovery was made by Chanel Carter, Johnson’s daughter. Carter had requested a welfare check after being unable to reach her mother. She disclosed that Darden had initially planned to carry out the act on Christmas dinner when all her mother’s children would be present. However, he acted sooner, possibly due to the expected arrival of Johnson’s sons.
Carter shared with FOX 5 Atlanta that she last saw her mother a week earlier in the hospital. When her mother did not respond to her messages in the ensuing days, she grew increasingly worried. Accompanying the police for the wellness check, she came upon the distressing scene and learned that the family had been dead for five days.
The family was living together at The Vineyards at Flat Shoals Apartments, where their bodies were discovered at around 7:30 p.m. The crime scene was carefully processed by detectives for about five hours. The incident shocked the neighbors, especially given the Christmas decorations adorning the apartment.
This event has left surviving family members in deep sorrow. Jontae Powell, the father of the two children, expressed his profound sense of loss, stating, “Everything is gone,” indicating the immense grief he felt over losing his mother, his children, and their mother in one tragic incident.
Local media reported that Mollian Johnson had confided in her daughter, Chanel Carter, about her intentions to leave Jonathan Darden. Neighbors also reported frequent disturbances at the apartment related to Darden, including loud arguments and disruptive behavior, but no formal charges were ever filed against him.
This incident underscores the importance of heightened awareness and robust support systems to identify the red flags of domestic abuse and prevent such catastrophic incidents.
Following this tragedy, the family initiated a GoFundMe campaign to assist with the substantial funeral and transportation expenses. The page, set up by a close family member, shares the deep sorrow and financial pressure they are experiencing, emphasizing the need for community support to handle the costs involved and to provide the victims with a respectful farewell.
